Kokorevka: History, Remembrance and Nature

In Kokorevka, local and church history sit alongside memorial sites; in the surrounding area, the Kolomina, springs and wetlands shape the natural landscape. This gives your stay several possible focuses: the origins of the settlement, its religious history, remembrance of wartime, or the protected landscape near the village. When choosing a holiday apartment, it may help to decide first whether you would like to focus primarily on Kokorevka’s history or on the nature of the surrounding area.

From Yagnet to Church History

An account of the church’s history places Kokorevka’s origins no later than the 18th century: the settlement began as a palace settlement and was initially called Yagnet. The name comes from the small river on which the settlement lies, now called the Kolomina. This account therefore corrects a foundation date that was often repeated later.

The history of the Church of the Archangel Michael also goes back to the 18th century. In 1736, subjects of A. I. Tarakanov asked the Synodal Treasury Council for permission to build a church in the settlement of Mishina; the building permit is dated March 30, 1737. The wooden Church of the Archangel Michael in Kokorevka (Mishina) is said to have been consecrated in 1761. This date is generally accepted in the historical tradition, but no original documents relating to it have survived.

The grave of the nun Ksenia, who lived in Kokorevka, is located behind the church altar. Her secular name was Maria Gruzinova (1930–1997). A four-sided brick chapel pillar with tall windows and a shingled onion dome stands over the grave. If you would like to see the church interior, check access in advance.

Remembrance in Kokorevka

The memorial “Mass Grave of 26 Soviet Soldiers Killed Defending the Village” commemorates those who fell. The mass grave in Kokorevka was created in 1952 by bringing individual graves together. In addition, Kokorevka holds the honorary title “Settlement of Partisan Glory.” It commemorates the partisans and underground fighters of Suzemsky District who fought in Bryansk Oblast during the Great Patriotic War. This remembrance thus spans two scales: the defense of the village and the resistance in Suzemsky District.

The Kolomina and the Surrounding Area

Near Kokorevka, the “Svyatye monakhi” spring lies within the “Urochishche Budimlya” natural monument. The source of the small Kolomina River is also within this natural monument. Numerous springs and wetlands shape the area; the wetlands’ vegetation is dominated by hypnum mosses. The Kolomina thus connects the local history surrounding the former name Yagnet with a natural landscape where waterways, springs and wetlands are important features.

For planning purposes, this focus is easy to distinguish from the memorial sites: the church history and monuments relate to Kokorevka itself, while the spring and wetland landscape lie in the surrounding area. If you would like to take nature into account when choosing where to stay, the Kolomina area offers a different focus from local history and remembrance.

Another Look at Bryansk Oblast

Bryansk Oblast also offers its own cultural and natural attractions. In Dyatkovo, the Dyatkovo Crystal Museum displays works made of colored and colorless crystal, including vases, lamps and decorative glass ensembles. The exhibition spans more than two hundred years of glassmaking and also features artistic compositions by Soviet glassmakers. The “Bryanskiy les” nature reserve offers a different regional focus: it lies in Bryansk Oblast between the Desna and Nerussa rivers and is the region’s only nature reserve. Visitors can experience wilderness there through environmental education, routes and observation.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Titovka, Negino, Krasnyy Most, Kamen', Osinovaya Gorka, Krasnyy Kurgan, Suponevo, Krasnaya.

For the overview of the wider region: Bryansk Oblast.